April 21st
by EndlessMoonrise
Summary: Rhydian promised to take Maddy on their first date the day he aged out of the care system, April 21st 2016, but as that day draws closer he starts to question what it is he's actually been waiting for... AU Oneshot. Takes place as if 2x13 never happened, Rhydian never asked Maddy out and she never moved to Canada...
**AN- Hi! Long time since I posted anything and I honestly thought it was going to be longer, but on Wednesday I realised that in my own little fanfic universe, Thursday was Rhydian's fake 18th birthday, the day he ages out of the care system andddd the day he promised to take Maddy on her first date!**

 **I was inspired and started writing at five Wednesday afternoon, I tried to get this up for the Thursday but I decided I could do a lot better if I wasn't rushing it. I honestly wasn't expecting much, when I started writing, thinking it would just be another note in the long list of unfinished fics I have piling up... but then this happened...**

 **This probably isn't the best fic of mine to read if you haven't read my previous stuff, so if your new, go check those out first, it'll put this one into context a little better... Otherwise...**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own Wolfblood.**

 **Rhydian's POV**

"Six days, six hours andddd ..." She tilted her wrist to check her watch as she climbed into the car, throwing her bag into the back seat and placing her camera in the foot well. "twenty three minutes." She concluded, smirking up at me. "Less than a week."

I scoffed, putting the car in reverse, releasing the handbrake and pulling out of my parking spot outside college. "So we're counting minutes now, are we?" I asked as I turned onto the main road, around the roundabout and towards home.

Stoneybridge was about a half an hour drive from Newcastle college, where Tom, Shannon, Maddy and I had decided to study after Bradlington high. We'd considered staying on for sixth form there, but the options for A level subjects were slim in such a small school. Jana had her big Segolia gig out in the centre of the city, it made me laugh sometimes, that the born and raised wildblood took to the city better than Maddy and I ever could. We didn't see her as much as we used to but she kept in touch and I knew she had a new 'city pack' that would look after her... One lad in particular seemed to have taken quite the shine to her, that was for sure.

Tom and Shannon had begun their A levels at the new sixth form building, just across from our building in the creative industries, so we met up for lunch on the days we all had classes. Maddy and I had decided to take a more focused route, we found that doing that gave us more of the supplies and specialist equipment we needed, so I'd enrolled on an art and design course and Maddy studied photography just downstairs.

Maddy laughed, taking hold of my hand once we were on the dual carriageway and I didn't have to change gears as much. "It's a big deal! My first date! You know, little girls dream about this sorta thing as cubs!"

I rolled my eyes. "What? While watching your disney princess films? You've got another thing coming if you think I'm going to pick you up next week on my valiant white steed and... I dunno... Whisk you away into the sunset."

"Damn." She muttered, trying to feign disappointment and hide her smirk. Just because we were older now , didn't mean this playfully bickering had stopped, we'd been accused of being an old married couple more times than I could count.

"What did you dream your first date would be like?" I asked a few moments later, watching her out of the corner of my eye as she played with the air-con fans

"Nuh uh." She shook her head as she sat back and prodded me in the ribs. "Don't think I'm giving you any ideas, I'm not throwing a spanner in what _should_ be the three years of work building up to this date."

"I've got a plan." I reassured her. "Just humour me."

She smiled up at me and shugged. "I dunno, I think all little girls just imagine themselves at the stereotypical candle lit dinner, with some _good looking, handsome lad_ that brings them flowers and treats them nice and kisses them goodnight."

"Well." I grinned, raising an eyebrow at her. We might have been trying to ignore our feelings for the past three years, but it had never been a secret that Maddy found me attractive, which gave me the confidence to be a little bit cocky when the occasion called for it. "At least you can check one item off that list."

"Why?" She smirked. "Have you already bought the candles?" I sighed heavily through my nose and bit my cheek to keep from smiling. Keeping up with this girl's sass was impossible. "Come on." She laughed, eyes bright with mischief. "You set yourself up for that one."

"I swear you get quicker every time." I laughed, trying to cover my amusement, the last thing I needed was another bruise to my ego, but even then, I wouldn't change her quick wit for the world, it was one of the many things I loved about her.

She grinned up at me smugly before she continued. "Of course back then I assumed I wouldn't be knocking on the door of my eighteenth when my first date happened. So much for not keeping a lady waiting." She said sarcastically.

I scoffed "It not my fault you've never been on one! I told you when we started college that if you didn't want to wait..."

"That I could date other lads." She finished, laughing as she spoke. "You then proceeded to scare off every bloke that so much as looked at me with the slightest bit of interest. You know they're practically all still too scared to approach me." I kept my eyes focused on the road ahead and the car in front, watching as its brake lights flashed and the traffic lights turned red. "Someone got a little too possessive, eh? ... Protecting your territory." She teased.

I growled quietly at her, if that's how she wanted to play, we'd play. "One word... Amber."

Maddy made a face, eyes narrowed and her lips curling up over her teeth.

The first few weeks of college were like starting another school all over again, and in the last few years before Stoneybridge, I found that new schools more often than not brought new girls hitting on me. College I found, was no different. Most girls gave up after a few attempts, my frosty attitude towards new people enough to put them off, but apparently not all. Amber was a girl on my art and design course and she wasn't so quick to take the message.

After I'd ignored the countless looks and smiles from across the studio she'd decided to take a more direct approach, coming up to me in the cafeteria during the lunch hour and asking if she could sit with me.

I'd sort of stumbled on my words a little, the way I often did with new people, before telling her my friends would be joining me in a few minutes.

She'd laughed and smiled in that same airy giggly way that I associated with the K's and sat down anyway... _"They can't be very good friends if they're leaving you waiting."_

 _I bristled at that. Tom, Shannon and Maddy were the best friends I ever could have asked for, so I didn't like people talking badly about them. "Two are over in the sixth form building, the other is probably packing up their equipment, they won't be long." I defended, turning back to my sketch book which I'd lay out on the table in front of me._

 _"You've always got that book open." She scoffed, leaning uncomfortably close and fingering the corners of the pages. "Don't you get sick of drawing? Our whole course is filled with it?.. You should take a break once in a while... Go out more."_

 _I decided to ignore that last part, keeping my eyes down on my page and pretending to shade a part of my sketch that was already shaded. "If I got sick of drawing, I'd be doing the wrong course." I answered shortly._

 _She reached over and took my pencil, placing it on the page and covering her hand with mine. I tried to tug my hand away but she held on. "Emm... I don't think..."_ _Before I could say any more there was a flash of brown hair and a wave of Maddy's scent as she sat down in my lap and knocked my hand out of Amber's._

 _"Hey." She smiled, placing a hand on my chest and leaning against my shoulder. "Sorry I took so long, packing up was a nightmare." She leaned in and turned her head, kissing the corner of my mouth. It wasn't a peck either, her lips moving in the way I assumed they would if she actually kissed me, and my guess was that it looked like exactly that from where Amber was sitting_

 _Her hand came up to touch the side of my face, though at this point I wasn't entirely sure if it was for show or to keep my jaw off the floor. She nudged my face with hers like 'Play along' and I finally took some initiative and wrapped my arms around her waist before she pulled away. "Don't worry about it." I smiled, pressing my forehead to hers._

 _"Who's this?" Amber asked shortly, arms crossed over her chest._

 _Maddy lay her head on my shoulder and played with my fingers, tracing the graphite smudges on the side of my hand. "This is Maddy, my... She's my..."_

 _"Girlfriend." Maddy finished, smiling sweetly at her before turning and nuzzling against my neck. "Sweetheart, you really need to shave tonight." She laughed lightly as she played the part of loving girlfriend, and I tried not to snigger at the 'Sweetheart' part._

 _"I think he looks just fine the way he is..." Amber interjected, looking down her nose at Maddy._

 _Maddy's back went ridged as she glared, if she was in wolf form the hackles would be up and she'd be baring her teeth. "Well, it's not really up to you, is it?"_

 _I pressed my nose and mouth to her shoulder to hide my smirk and just watched the show. Amber looked between the two of us and the door, seeming to try and decide whether or not to face the wrath of Madeline Smith and I resisted the urge to tell the girl to run while she still could._

 _Amber dug her phone out of her back pocket and clicked a few of the buttons before pointing towards the door. "I've got to..."_

 _"Bye!" Maddy smiled sweetly again and turned to nudge her nose with mine._

 _"Go..." Amber finished, before huffing and flicking her hair over her shoulder as she stormed out._

 _I managed to contain my laughter until the door shut behind her, but Tom and Shan didn't bother, they were stood in the doorway on the other side of the cafeteria in absolute hysterics._

 _..._

"Someone had to get the message through to her." Maddy defended. "She stopped hitting on you, and you thanked me for it!"

I laughed, clicking on my indicator to turn left and changing gear. " _Everyone_ stopped hitting on me because they all heard about my psycho possessive girlfriend and her death glares." She pouted, her nose scrunched up in the process. "And I wouldn't have it any other way." I grinned at her.

She smiled back at me, her gaze soft and loving. "...How was work?"

I told her all about my shift, not that I did anything all that exciting, mostly warehouse work, but she liked hearing about it anyway. I was only at college three days a week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, so had managed to find a part time job to fill the other two, and save up some extra cash. Maddy was at college Tuesday through to Friday so I picked her up after my shift rather than her having to drag her portfolios on and off the bus.

We talked about work and college until we pulled up outside her house, usually I would have gone in but I was making dinner at the Vaughn's tonight and needed to get back. "I'll see you tomorrow after college, but I'll text or call you tonight anyway." I told her as she opened the back door to retrieve her she had, she stood in front of my door and motioned for me to wind my window down, so I did as I was told. She leaned through the window and nuzzled my cheek. "Y'know you really didn't need to pick us up... Especially when you're going straight home anyway?"

I turned my head to nuzzle her back. "Don't worry about it? I know you don't like buses."

"...Mmm." She hummed. "... Drive safe... And text me when you get back, okay?"

"You know I will." I told her quietly, pressing my forehead gently to hers and nudging her nose with mine. _Six days_. I told myself. _Just six days, five hours and... Some amount of minutes._

"Take me out tomorrow." She whispered. "Or the next day."

I pulled back a little and sighed softly. "Mads, I can't... We agreed, April 21st."

"Is a Thursday." She finished. "You can't have a date on a Thursday."

"I think you'll find there isn't a rule about that." I argued. "You'll be finished college by four, that's plenty of time to get ready, and it's light nights now anyway."

She huffed lightly. "It's three days difference Rhydian... Even if the Vaughn's do kick you out, which you and I both know, isn't going to happen. The worst case scenario is they kick you out and you come back next week when you turn eighteen." She laughed humourlessly, but her eyes wouldn't meet mine. "I don't understand why we're waiting any more."

I closed my eyes and leaned into her. "I know..." I was stringing her along, I knew that, and I wasn't blind to the look of rejection in her eyes every time I turned her down, but I needed to do this. "I love you... You know that?" It wasn't the first time I'd told her this, but I saved the words for only when I thought she needed to hear them.

"I do know that... And I love you."

"... I need to do this." I whispered. "And... I don't think it's just about getting kicked out anymore...Mads." She narrowed her eyes at me slightly in question. "I've told you what my life was like, before Stoneybridge, but there's no way I could tell you just how much crap I went through to get here... I know it's not all social services fault, and I know now that some of it was my own doing, but... I just want a fresh start, to put it all behind me... And ageing out of the system is my chance to do that... Tell me you understand that?"

She nodded against me before pulling away and taking my hand through the window. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you then. Take away and movie night at Shan's. Right?" I asked, squeezing her hand once more before I let go and started the car.

She stood back to let me drive away. "Yep!" She waved from the door way, camera case around her neck and portfolio in hand, and watched as I drove away.

...

The rest of the week progressed much the same way, little texts throughout the days telling me exactly how many days, hours and minutes until the 21st of April as well as a big announcement every time she got in the car and I watched on as her excitement level grew the closer we got.

If I was honest I wasn't much better, my mind wandering as I thought about our upcoming date. It was supposed to be warm, clear skies tomorrow, which was a good thing since my whole three year plan depended on the weather being good enough to stay outside. After going over the options in my head, I'd decided quite early on that I wasn't going to take her to a restaurant, or anywhere in the city for that matter. We may have started going to Newcastle college, but that was about as much of city life either of us could take. We still preferred being outdoors, close to nature and running through the woods.

So that's where I was taking her, I was going to prepare a picnic of her favourite food and take her up to the stream where we'd first talked as kids on my first day at Bradlington high, where she told me I was a Wolfblood not a werewolf. I could still hear our conversation in my head clear as day...

 _"It's Wolfblood not werewolf w'not monsters."_

 _'...The weird thing is, I don't even remember being bitten..."_

 _'Bitten?! You don't get bitten.'_

 _..._

 _"Say I did stick around? Only for a bit, no promises?"_

...

" _You can keep your group hugs and your big furry family, I do things my way."_

 _"Lone wolf, huh?"_

I scoffed, even back then Maddy called me out on all my crap. Fourteen year old Rhydian had been such an idiot.

That day had changed my life forever, _Maddy_ had changed my life forever, and whenever I tried to picture our date, that's where my head took me. It wasn't a candle lit dinner, but I knew Maddy, and something told me she'd enjoy this more.

I waited in the car for her Wednesday afternoon, my sketchbook propped up against the steering wheel as I drew, tracing the smooth lines of Maddy's hair, but then of course I was drawing her, she was all I could seem to think about lately.

When the back door of my car opened I turned to watch her tuck her portfolio safely in the footwell behind her seat before pulling the passenger door open and climbing in to sit beside me.

I expected her to grin and widen her eyes in excitement the way she had all week as she announced our countdown, but she was biting her lip as she buckled her seatbelt and peered up at me through her lashes. "You okay?" I asked her softly, ducking my head a little closer to her level

"Yeah." She laughed quietly. "...Seven hours, forty two minutes." She murmured. "I think it just got real all of a sudden.

I smiled down at her and took her hand in mine. "It hit me around half one last night." I admitted. As soon we ran out of days and started counting hours, tomorrow felt a hell of a lot closer.

"Tell us you actually got some sleep?" She pleaded.

"A little." I smiled guiltily. "I started sketching to try and stop my head racing, and then I had to finish the sketch..." She was rolling her eyes before I even finished my sentence so I started the car and began the drive home.

Mrs Vaughn had invited Maddy round for dinner, over the years it had become routine, me going to the Smith's for hog roast one Wednesday and Maddy coming to us the week after, so after a quick detour to pick up some some snacks for the movie we'd probably watch tonight, and some milk for Mrs Vaughn, I took her straight there.

As Maddy took her bags upstairs, I walked through to the kitchen with the shopping. Mrs Vaughn was already over by the stove, mixing what smelt like some kind of vegetable curry as it simmered. "I didn't know which milk you wanted so I got a red one and a green one." I told her as I opened the fridge to store them away and she turned to face me. "And those biscuits you like we're on offer so I got you some." I lifted them up for her to see before reaching over her head and hiding them in the cupboard behind the soup bowls and out of sight of the boys.

She smiled and me and retrieved her purse from the breakfast bar. "How much do I owe you?"

I waved my hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it."

"Don't give me that. It all piles up Rhydian, you should be saving." She scolded lightly.

"I am saving. It's just some milk and some biscuits, it hardly breaks the bank." I protested.

She sighed softly and relented, smiling gently at me, but there was a sadness in her eyes that I knew wasn't to do with not paying me back. She'd been acting strange with me for weeks come to think of it... "Go on." She said finally, nodding towards the stairs. "Maddy will be waiting for you..."

I hovered for a few seconds before hugging her lightly, pressing my nose to her hair to get her scent. "Dinner will be ready for seven." She told me quietly, her hand reaching up to touch my hair.

"Okay." I told her as I headed towards the stairs and back towards Maddy.

 **Maddy's POV**

We lay stretched out on Rhydian's bed side by side, on top of the covers. I'd tucked myself under his arm and rested my head on his chest while he played idly with the ends of my hair, weaving the strands through his fingers.

We were scrolling through YouTube, watching the newest uploads from our favourite YouTubers. The laptop was balanced on his stomach and shook whenever we laughed at what was happening on screen, so every so often I'd have to reach out to steady it. I wondered absently if things would always be like this... Would things change after tomorrow?

He'd grown a lot more affectionate with me over the years, held my hands and nuzzled my cheeks and my neck. He cuddled up beside me during movie nights and kissed my forehead or cheek whenever he said goodbye. He also didn't hide it as much as he used to either. Tom and Shan, Mrs Vaughn and my parents had all found out in their own ways that Rhydian wanted to to wait until he aged out of the system to ask me out, and although some of them didn't fully understand his reasoning, they respected his decision and had learned just to get used to our little 'non-relationship.'

Although, I personally think my mam and dad were just overjoyed that they wouldn't have to deal with me dating for a year or two. I grinned silently, I'd had fun watching their trepidation grow alongside my excitement. My parents loved Rhydian in their own little way, so I was pretty sure their reluctance was less to do with their opinion of him and more to do with the fact they didn't want to accept that their little cub was growing up.

Lots of those loving gestures began to become natural and it had been a long time since i'd had to look for an excuse to use them, but there was one thing he'd made sure to keep strictly off limits... He'd never kissed me...

Sure we'd been close a whole bunch of times, during play fights or cuddles, there'd been one particularly heated argument last year, involving a lot of growling and snarling and shoving. I'd ended up with my back against the wall, his forehead pressed against mine and his lips less than an inch away. Emotions were flying the tension in the room pressing against us, then all of a sudden the growling stopped, the whole atmosphere flipped and despite how angry I'd been at him seconds before, kissing him seemed like a viable option... And judging by the look in his eyes, I'd say he felt the same way...

He always came to his senses right at the last minute and pulled away though, that one time after the argument he'd actually walked out... Would he kiss me tomorrow?.. My stomach fluttered with a mix of nerves and excitement and I wrapped my arms around it to try and quell it.

I awoke from my daydream to find YouTube waiting for us to decide what to watch next and looked up at Rhydian, confused as to why he hadn't chosen one.

His eyes were closed, and his chest was rising and falling steadily as his breath fluttered through parted lips.

I laughed quietly and shook my head, he did this a lot, usually it was a sign the my scent was fading from our swapping pillows and his wolf was keeping him up, but there were odd times like this when it was just his own daft fault for staying up all night to sketch. As soon as my scent hit him he was out like a light.

I stayed with him for a few minutes, just to make sure he'd settled, tracing the hand that lay on his chest with the tips of my fingers. before finally untangling myself. I was careful not to wake him as I took the laptop off him and closed it, placing if safely on his bedside table before quietly making my way out.

I found Mrs Vaughn in the kitchen, washing the dishes she'd used preparing our food. "Dinner smells great Michelle."

She startled, sniffing as her hands came up to wipe at her eyes, before turning to face me. "Maddy." She smiled, but the smile was forced and her eyes were puffy and red.

I moved forward, frowning in concern and touching a hand to her arm. "Michelle? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She laughed shakily and looked nervously behind me. "Where's Rhydian?"

"Sleeping." I told her shortly. "He was up practically all night sketching."

She scoffed and shook her head. "I've lost count of how many times I've told him off about that... I don't like him driving on so little sleep..."

"Michelle." I cut her off to keep her from changing the subject.

She wouldn't meet my eyes, looking out the window and out onto the garden, but finally, once she realised I wasn't going anywhere she took a deep breath in and out and started to talk as she paced the kitchen. "I really didn't want to ask you... But he's not said anything and..." She sat down at the breakfast bar and put her head in hands. "Has he said anything to you about moving out?" She asked quietly.

I closed my eyes and sighed. "I thought the two of you would have discussed this already."

"He's never brought it up." She defended. "And I didn't want to push him. He's had people deciding where he lives his whole life... And I don't want him to feel like he has to stay with me if he doesn't want to... But then he's not said anything." She said again. "And I can't stop thinking that he's going to up and leave and I'll have no way to get him back..."

I stood in front of her and leaned over the counter towards her, taking her hands away from her face. "He's not going anywhere, I can promise you that, you're not going to lose him." The tears were flowing freely now.

"This is the first time I've had a child who aged out of the system... I've had Rhydian longer than anyone..." She said quietly.

"And this is the longest Rhydian's ever lived with anyone... I don't think you realise how grateful he is for that." Rhydian loved her, even if he wasn't very good at telling her. "I'm going to go get him." They needed to talk, she didn't need to hear this from me, she needed to hear it from him.

"Let him sleep." She told me gently, but I shook my head.

Dinner would be ready soon and I wanted them to figure this out before that. "He'll just muck up his sleeping pattern if he sleeps much longer and stay up all night again, besides its his own daft fault."

...

I shook Rhydian awake only moments later and he stirred and grumbled in protest but eventually opened his eyes. He must have been able to sense my unease because his eyes narrowed almost as soon as he pulled round. "What's wrong?"

I tried to smile reassuringly but I wasn't very successful. "You need to go and speak to Michelle."

He looked out towards the stairs and sat up. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine, she's just a bit upset." I explained. "Why didn't talk to her about what you were doing when you aged out? She's down there worrying that your planning to move out."

He closed his eyes and rubbed at his face. "I knew she was upset, I just didn't know why." He admitted, then looked down and shrugged. "And I've never really had a good experience when it came to talking about living arrangements... I guess I just thought that since she didn't say anything I was allowed to stay and she was fine with it..." I scoffed, between the pair of them, it was no wonder this hadn't been figured out. "Moving out?" He asked. "Where on earth did she get that idea?"

"Where did you get the idea she'd kick you out for all these years?" I questioned. "These things aren't always rational... But the tables have turned... Legally you could walk out tomorrow morning and she'd have no way of getting you back..."

"I wouldn't do that..." He murmured.

"You can't look at me and tell me that wasn't your plan before you moved here... Muddle through until you were eighteen, then walk out of whatever foster home you happened to be in." He was different now, but even back then I'd been able to read him like a book, it wasn't hard to put myself back into fourteen year old Rhydian's mindset.

"That was then, I think you'll find my plans for tomorrow are pretty different now." He gave me a small smile. "Unless you plan on going anywhere, I'm staying put."

I smirked at him, knocking my shoulder with his. "My family have lived in Stoneybridge for over three hundred years, you know?"

He gave me a matching lopsided smirk. "Yeah, your dad may have mentioned it."

"Something tells me we won't be going anywhere anytime soon." I laughed, turning my head against his shoulder. He lay his head on mine, his nose hidden in my hair. "Go down and give her a hug... I think she needs one."

He nodded, nuzzling my cheek with his nose as he stood and headed for the door. "And Rhydian?" He looked back and raised a brow in question. "A bit of advice... Just because I can sense how you feel about me, doesn't mean she can... With humans you've usually got to tell them."

He paused, considering that, but the guilt in his eyes was evident. "I try to, but..."

"You still call her Mrs Vaughn..." I didn't want it to sound like I was telling him off, calling foster parents by their last name was something he'd done years before he came to Stoneybridge. It wasn't Michelle's fault, it just used to be Rhydian's way of keeping his distance early on.

He ran his hand through his hair, frustrated. "I don't know how to start calling her Michelle... I should have done it sooner, but now... It's like it's too late."

"It's not too late." I told him firmly. "If you're ready to call her Michelle, call her Michelle. You don't have to be scared of her reaction." Sometimes Rhydian needed permission for this sort of thing, someone to reassure him it was okay... Finally, he seemed to take a moment to ready himself before nodding determinedly and heading downstairs, I smiled, proud of him and tucked my hair behind my ear to listen.

 **Rhydian's POV**

I looked over at Mrs Vau... _Michelle_... from the doorway, she had her feet tucked up on the sofa, her fingers pulling at a tissue distractedly. Maddy was right... I didn't let her know enough or just how much she meant to me. If she hadn't given me a chance all those years ago, I never would have found my pack, my friends, Maddy. She'd supported and encouraged me in everything I did and I'd never be able to convey just how grateful I was for that.

I walked over to sit by her side and she turned to look at me. She still looked sad, but there were nerves that weren't there before, she'd wanted answers, but now it seemed she was a little afraid of getting them. I debated for a few seconds on the best course of action before finally deciding to slouch down a little in my seat and let my head fall against her shoulder. I was a lot better with physical gestures than I was with words.

She laughed quietly and turned her head to press her lips to my hair, wrapping her arms around me, and I felt both her and myself relax a little. I hugged her back gently before pulling away to meet her eyes. "... I'm not going away." I promised her. "Not ever... I've got no plans to move out, but I can make them if you need me too, if you wanted to foster another kid and needed my room, I'd totally understand." I decided that laying everything out like this was probably the best way forward. "If not, I want to pay board because you're not going to be getting my allowance anymore. But I'm never going away, I'll always stay in touch, and I'll always visit."

There were tears in her eyes and I found myself wishing if figured out the reason for her funny mood sooner. "I don't care about the money, and your room is yours for as long as you want it."

I nodded, smiling reassuringly at her. "I'm paying board." I wasn't budging on that. "But you let me know if or when you want to foster again, and I can look into student loans and accommodation... Any kid would be more than lucky to be fostered by you. You're the best there is." She rolled her eyes bashfully and I grinned at her. "Believe me." I scoffed. "I'm pretty sure I've tested every foster mum between here and Wales and none of them hold a candle to you." She was laughing now, dabbing her remaining tears with what was left of her tissue.

"You trusted me, believed in me, _loved_ me... Even when I acted weird or got angry or ran away...no one had ever done that for me, before you."

She hugged me again, tighter this time and kissed my temple. "I love you." She said, almost in answer.

I laughed softly and pressed my nose to her shoulder. "I love you too... Michelle."

She froze for a few seconds and I waited anxiously for her response... This was the part that had stopped me for so long. Her reaction, and my reaction to her reaction... Mrs Vaughn had felt too formal for years, I just hadn't known how to make the transition. Instead I just avoided using it, using any name, unless I really needed to, but the longer that passed the less likely she thought I'd ever call her by name and the bigger I imagined her reaction would be...

She let out a heavy breath, shock by the sound of it and started to pull back, and even though I'd meant every single bit of what I said, I just couldn't look her in the eyes.

She touched the side of my face, urging me to turn towards her. She didn't say anything, I got the impression she didn't really know _what_ to say, but her smile was enough, there were tears in her eyes, but happy ones this time, and I smiled back at her shyly.

She ran her thumb gently over my cheek, a gesture my mum had used countless times before... But then Michelle always had treated me just the same way mum did... She loved me just the same way Mum did... I frowned. Looking at it that way it seemed really unfair to give one of them the tile and not the other... I'm not sure I could call her it all the time, but she deserved to hear it...

"What's the matter." She asked softly.

"Nothing." I laughed nervously. If I didn't do this now I just knew I'd bottle out, and I really didn't want to. "...I love you, Mum."

The tears welled over and she looked up, dabbing at her eyes with the end of her sleeve, before pulling me back to her and holding me close, her voice shaking slightly as she spoke her next words. "I love you too, son."

...

"Two hours, twenty seven minutes." Maddy told me later that night. She was sitting in my lap, lying against my chest as we watched a film from the sofa in the living room.

Michelle was sat in the chair across from us, watching along with a contented smile that hadn't left her lips all afternoon. Maddy had come down to join us not long after our talk, she'd practically tackled me to the sofa, grinning widely at me and hugging me tightly. "I'm so proud of you." She'd whispered, only loud enough for me to hear, then tucked herself up against my side.

It was just the three of us tonight, Mr Vaughn had taken the boys to visit their biological mum and would be back some time tomorrow morning. And Maddy after a lot of persuasion and bargaining with her parents was allowed to stay the night for what she'd dubbed my 'Non birthday sleepover.'

"You know it's two hours, twenty seven minutes and you still haven't _actually_ asked me out." She pouted.

I eyed her dubiously. "Do I really need to? You've known the date for the past three years."

"Yes, you do." She insisted.

"Mads!" I whined, but then she gave me the puppy eyes and I couldn't help but give into them. I sighed and nudged her nose with mine. "Go out with me tomorrow?"

She gasped and placed a hand on her chest in mock shock. "Are you asking me out on a date?!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah." I smiled sweetly at her.

She pretended to consider that, holding her chin in thought as I watched on in amusement, before she shook her head. "Nah, I think I've got plans."

Michelle and Maddy laughed at my expense as I pursed my lips and huffed in annoyance. "Aww." Maddy wrapped her arms around my neck and nuzzled against me until I couldn't help but smile again. "Of course I'll go out with you." It took every scrap of willpower I had to not go for her lips right then and there. What difference would two hours and twenty six minutes really make? But there was still a tiny part determined part of my brain that was only just visible through the teenage, hormone riddled mess, that said I couldn't give in now, not so close to the finish line

"You know I've had three years to prepare and I still haven't decided what to wear." I pulled back a little, away from her lips, and frowned, because she genuinely sounded worried about this.

"Neither have I..."

She batted me playfully. "You're a bloke. You've only got like, two items of clothing to decide on and your whole wardrobe consists of about three colours. All you've got to do is pick the newest things you own." I smiled because that had pretty much been my strategy.

She's rambled about all the things she'd need to decide on and which shoes went with what, until finally I just rolled my eyes at her. "I don't care what you wear as long as you turn up." Even now, in her joggers and her sleep shirt, she still looked beautiful.

"Well, where are we going?" I smirked, finally catching on. This hadn't been about what to wear at all, she was trying to find out where we were going. "I don't want to be over dressed or under dressed."

"That's for me to know and you to find out. Just wear your skinny jeans and a nice top." I decided just telling her what to wear was probably the quickest way out of this.

She scowled at me, obviously not happy with that answer and crossed her arms, putting her back to my chest. "I don't trust your judgement, you've got an ulterior motive." She muttered. "You like my jeans because y'like checking out my backside."

I scoffed, smirking as I heard Michelle laughing at our antics. Busted.

...

We spent the rest of the night watching films and eating the sweets I'd bought on the way home, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

It hadn't been said but I was pretty sure we were all waiting up for midnight. In the years before I came to Stoneybridge I'd refused to celebrate my 'Birthday' in any way at all. All it did was remind me that I'd been abandoned, but then Maddy had turned it on it's head, made it a countdown for tomorrow and a 'Non-birthday.' And instead of dreading it, I'd learned to look forward to it.

I'd never imagined I'd have this... I always thought I'd be alone, that no one would want an abandoned freak, with an uncontrollable temper... But now... Now I had a pack. A family... Multiple packs and multiple families... Friends... And this wonderful girl sitting by my side.

I ran my nose lightly over her neck, followed by my lips. Her skin was warm, soft... And I was becoming increasingly distracted from the film by her pulse fluttering under my lips. "I love you."

"Mmm." She murmured. "What brought that on?"

"Nothing." I whispered, even though the television was loud enough to cover any conversation. "I just do." I kissed the spot behind her ear and she laughed breathily, tilting her head to the side so I could reach better. "I'm glad I met you..." I pressed my lips to her throat and nuzzled against her.

"Someone's getting all sentimental..." She lifted her head up towards me, her lips so close that they brushed mine ever so slightly.

I shook my head against hers. "I think about what my life would have been like if I hadn't gotten lost as a cub." I mumbled. "If I hadn't been taken into care, hadn't moved around so much..."

"How broad do you reckon your Welsh accent would have been?" She laughed quietly and I scoffed.

"...I'd be living in the wild, miles from civilisation... I never would have met you..." Just the _thought_ of never knowing her made my chest ache. "I try to think of a situation where I'd be okay with that, where I'd rather things have gone the way they should have... And I can't... I'd go through the whole care system again if it meant I ended up here, with you."

"Really?" She whispered.

I nudged my nose with hers. "Really..."

The soft click of the living room door was the first I was aware of Michelle trying to make a stealthy exit, though to her credit she'd managed to get from the sofa to the door without either of us Wolfblood's noticing. We turned just in time to see her cringe and slip through the smallest gap she could manage.

We both laughed softly before turning back to face each other, I hadn't realised just how much we'd been leaning in until then... "I think we've been left alone." Maddy murmured, peering up at me through her lashes and smiling shyly

"Mmmhm." I hummed, words were failing me at the moment, the brief interruption not enough to break the spell she seemed to have on me. I reached up to tuck a strand of her hair back, my fingers trailing over her jaw and across her cheek.

Her heart was thudding rapidly along with mine, and our breaths were heavier than they had been just a few minutes ago. Her eyes fluttered away from mine and she lifted her arm to check her watch... "We've still got..."

I pushed her arm down and out of her sight, I didn't want to count minutes anymore, I didn't need to.

Tomorrow, when I legally left the care system, nothing was going to change, I didn't want it to. I was still going to be living here, with Michelle, I was still going to meet up with my friends, I was still going to go to the Smith's for hog roast every other Wednesday, Maddy and I were still going to go for runs together in the woods like we'd done from my very first day... My fresh start had already started, three years, and two month ago when I drove into Stoneybridge with my social worker and my two moving boxes.

I just wish I hadn't taken so damn long to figure that out.

"What about your fresh start?" Maddy whispered, reaching up to hold the back of my head and running her fingers over my hair.

I leaned in, pushing her gently back into the sofa and pressing my forehead to hers. I nuzzled against her, letting my lips trail over her jaw. She was so beautiful, no matter how many times I tried to sketch her I could never capture every part of her. "I already have my fresh start." I whispered. She was strong, funny, brave, witty... She was my alpha, my best friend, she supported me and loved me unconditionally... And I couldn't imagine life without her.

"You're it." I told her, and finally, _finally_ pressed my lips to hers...

 **AN- Awww I actually really enjoyed writing this one, hence why it only took five days to write :')). I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it though! This is a one shot so there won't be a second chapter for this one I'm afraid, but definitely more stories to come! so hopefully you'll hear from me again soon!**

 **I also want to say a big thank you to everyone who reads my work, I published my first fic, Forgiven, on here just over a year ago and you have all been phenomenal support for every single one since!**

 **Please Review!**

 **-EndlessMoonrise x**


End file.
